XXXXX DRUDGE REPORT XXXXX THU DEC 05, 2002 15:25:07 ET XXXXX
MSNBC RATINGS HIT BOTTOM; NETWORK FLATLINING
The joint news operation between GENERAL ELECTRIC and MICROSOFT has moved in to critical condition -- with audience levels of MSNBC fading to near unmeasurable readings, the DRUDGE REPORT has learned!
Overnight NIELSEN returns for Wednesday night show MSNBC setting near all-time low viewership for the all-news channel.
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Both DONAHUE and HARDBALL W/CHRIS MATTHEWS are rated at the bottom of all cable news programming for Wednesday prime.
With cold weather now firmly implanted over much of the nation, and television watching seasonally on the rise, MSNBC's vanishing audience has become the talk of Broadcast Row.
Just as the network's rivals begin to smell death.
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"I would bet GE will shake up the schedule one more time, perhaps move BUCHANAN & PRESS to nights, give [Minnesota Governor Jesse] Ventura a go," predicts a top executive from a rival network, who asked not to be named. "But I would not be surprised if GE just closes the channel down."
Executives "clearly put all their eggs in the Donohue basket," says one well-placed NBC source. "The word from the higher-ups is that if Donohue can't sell the network, then NBC will have to sell the network. It's not just a coincidence that Brian Williams was moved to CNBC; they wanted to protect him, anticipating any MSNBC failure."
The source continued: "Likewise, Chris Matthews' contract has a note in it that if MSNBC gets sold, that he will stay on as an NBC analyst."
Exposing the dramatic divide, Wednesday night ratings show FOX 's O'REILLY pulling in nearly 7-times the audience as DONAHUE. While Chris Matthews finished dead last in original cable news programming.
12-4-02
O'REILLY 2.1 [RATING]
HANNITY/COLMES 1.5
SHEP SMITH 1.1
BRIT HUME 1.0
GRETA 1.0
LARRY KING 0.7
AARON BROWN 0.7
CHUNG 0.6
CROSSFIRE 0.6
DONAHUE 0.3
HARDBALL 0.3
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Filed By Matt Drudge
Reports are moved when circumstances warrant
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(c)DRUDGE REPORT 2002
Not for reproduction without permission of the author
